Day 12 - Zurich, Bernina, Varenna (Lake Como)

We arose from an absolutely awesome night's sleep, where for once we all slept like the dead. We had arranged for an early breakfast, so after raiding the buffet for enough food for breakfast and lunch, we boarded the train for Chur. There we changed trains to the Bernina Express. The trains used for this roughly four hour journey have large panoramic windows and is the only train that crosses the Alps above ground.

I sometimes wish that I had paid more attention to my ancient Greek class at University because Greek and even Hebrew have so many more words descriptive words and are so much richer in their explanations than English is. To say the views were beautiful, awesome or even spectacular would be selling the whole experience short. My grasp of vocabulary is sadly too small to give you a fair retelling of today. Look at the pictures, Google it or look on Youtube, and if ever at all possible, make the trip yourself. If this is only Earth, what could Eden have looked like, or how will Heaven?

As it was overcast and rained a bit Martin and I abandoned our seats early on to stand in the baggage area which had two small openable windows we could lean out of slack jawed and lost for words. When the train stopped to change engine for the steeper climbs, the conductor came to fetch us and took us to an old style carriage less luxurious but with large opening panoramic windows which we had all to ourselves! We bounced around that carriage like children on Christmas running from side to side taking pictures, video and simply staring awestruck and thrilled at this blessing!

We crossed the border into Italy and soon after changed trains again, this time in the direction of Varenna on the shores of Lake Como. The beautiful mists and ambient clouds in the mountains were of course torrential rain on the flatter surfaces below, so much so that we had to get a taxi to collect us from the station and take us to our hotel. The Erebo Gaudio sits on the side of a mountain with an amazing view of the lake. The restaurant can be reached by taking two separate vernaculars up the mountain, the result being the most astonishing and breathtaking sunset views, which with the ending of the rain we were finally able to enjoy.